Study: Spartanburg among top 10 least-content places in nation

Wednesday

Mar 30, 2011 at 1:02 AM

A recently released study on U.S. residents' health and well-being by Gallup-Healthways puts Spartanburg among the 10 least-content places in the nation.

Why so blue, Spartanburg?A recently released study on U.S. residents' health and well-being by Gallup-Healthways puts Spartanburg among the 10 least-content places in the nation.Boulder, Colo., was ranked as the happiest place in the country, while the Huntington/Ashland area where West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio meet is ranked at the bottom. Spartanburg ranks 182nd of the 188 U.S. metropolitan areas surveyed.South Carolina residents' contentment ranks 35th out of the 50 states. Other South Carolina cities included in the survey are Charleston, Greenville, Myrtle Beach and Columbia.The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index interviewed at least 1,000 U.S. adults every day in 2010. Nearly 353,000 people age 18 and older were surveyed.Participants, selected and called at random throughout the year, were scored according to how they measured their emotional health, physical health, healthy behavior, work environment and basic access to necessities crucial to well-being, such as clean water, medicine and safety. Residents also were asked to evaluate their present and anticipated future life situation on an index of zero to 10, where “zero” represents the worst possible life and “10” represents the best possible life.All but one of the categories for Spartanburg residents measured in the fifth and lowest quintile. Spartanburg's “healthy behavior” ranked 131st, putting it in the study's fourth quintile.Spartanburg's lowest ranking was in physical health. The county's residents ranked it 181st in the nation. The physical health index includes information on items such as sick days, health problems that get in the way of normal activities, obesity and feeling well-rested.The number seems to contradict the county's rank for healthy behavior, which factors in healthy eating habits, smoking, consumption of fruits and vegetables and exercise. Residents said they have poor physical health, even though they're making at least some attempt at a healthy lifestyle.Partners for Active Living Executive Director Laura Ringo said the survey could reflect a recent effort by various local groups to improve Spartanburg's overall health, but the results aren't there yet.“I think we're not a healthy community overall,” Ringo said. “However, I think the positive news is there are a whole lot of groups, public and private, that are committed to making Spartanburg healthier. So hopefully we're moving in the right direction and will see more positive numbers next time. ... I think we're just getting to the point of realizing this is important.”Trez Clark, program director for the PACE Center, a local nonprofit that provides mental health services, said a community's emotional health is directly related to other factors touched by the health and well-being survey.

People with poor physical health or a stressful work environment tend to be more depressed, she said.The study bases emotional health on factors such as worry, stress, depression and how much a person smiles or laughs.“There's a part of me that's not surprised (with the survey) because we see so much (poor emotional health),” Clark said. “... So much is related. Physical, emotional, spiritual — it's related to the whole person.”Clark also said the center's counselors fight the stigma that goes along with mental illness every day. Residents are often afraid to get help, she said, because of that stigma. Others are at a disadvantage because financial restraints prevent them from getting help, or they simply don't know where to turn.“I think if employers would help their staff and employees get help, that would make such a huge difference,” said Clark, noting that the top three workplace problems are often reported as family crisis, stress and depression.The county's low “work environment” ranking could be a reflection of that point.Spartanburg residents ranked 177th on the well-being study for factors such as job satisfaction, their ability to use their strengths at work and how their supervisor treats them.“I do think employers are starting to see the importance of work environment, not only with the actual facility, but also an environment that promotes health and fitness,” said Johnnie-Lynn Crosby, business services manager for the Upstate Workforce Investment Board.“Health and wellness is a big deal. I think the more companies really push that, the more they're going to see employees will respond to that.”Visit www.well-beingindex.com for more information.

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